by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2020
Like dozens of other automakers, Kia was left high and dry by the cancellation of the Geneva International Motor Show earlier this month due to the coronavirus pandemic. That left it scrambling to figure out how to launch one of its most important new products this...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 18, 2020
The number of automakers shutting down or reducing output at their production facilities continues to grow in the U.S. and Europe. Daimler AG, BMW Group and Toyota have joined several other automakers in suspending production in Europe, as well as work in selected...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 18, 2020
The United Auto Workers said Detroit’s automakers will cut production in half by using rotating shifts that carmakers hope will give them more time for cleaning to keep the threat of COVID-19 at bay. Rory Gamble, UAW president, said after a meeting with executives...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2020
Using a livestream webcast as a substitute for the originally planned media event in Los Angeles, Hyundai pulled the covers off its new, 2021 Elantra sedan Tuesday night. The event still took place at the Lot Studios in West Hollywood, but only a handful of Hyundai...
by Michael Strong | Mar 17, 2020
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is advancing toward some standardization of federal safety rules for driverless vehicles, asking for public comment on the potential mandates. The agency issued a notice of proposed rulemaking March 17, seeking input...
by Michael Strong | Mar 17, 2020
Automakers around the world are rapidly increasing the number of electric vehicles they plan to bring to market, and perhaps none more aggressively than Volkswagen. However, this shift comes with a complication: battery supplies Most automakers use batteries with...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 17, 2020
You might get a sense of déjà vu in the coming weeks as you watch automakers struggle to kickstart fast-falling sales while also taking steps to prevent a wave of repossessions as job losses mount and owners struggle to pay their car loans and leases. If anything,...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 17, 2020
ALG, a subsidiary of TrueCar, updated its 2020 new vehicle sales forecast, calling for a major downshift in car sales in what it described as the longer-term economic slowdown as the economic wreckage from the COVID-19 hits home. The forecast calls for a 14.2% decline...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 17, 2020
(This story has been updated to reflect the announcement that Daimler also will close its European plants.) Daimler AG on Tuesday evening in Europe announced it will temporarily close most of its European plants to address both the coronavirus pandemic and the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 16, 2020
One of the nation’s largest and most well-regarded classic car shows, the 2020 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, has been canceled, the latest in a growing list of automotive functions impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled to take place during the...
by Michael Strong | Mar 16, 2020
The wheels of justice turn slowly until you add in the coronavirus epidemic, then they grind to a halt as they did when the $2.2 billion court case involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk was put on hold due to the outbreak. A new trial date has not be set. Shareholder groups...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 16, 2020
While the very name, Volkswagen, may bring to mind images of the Beetle, the Golf and the GTI, what’s drying buyers to VW showrooms these days is a very different sort of product. Sport-utes like the Tiguan and newer Atlas model dominate demand. It should be no...
